One Cup race good for Vegas

Before the start of the Kobalt Tools 400 on Sunday, many fans heard what they wanted to hear instead of what Mayor Oscar Goodman actually said.

Based on the roar of the 140,000 in attendance, these fans either misunderstood or just love the notion of Las Vegas Motor Speedway getting a second Sprint Cup race annually.

In prerace ceremonies on the frontstretch, Goodman said, "I would like to say Las Vegas will have a second Cup race starting next year."

Many would like another Cup weekend that deposits about $160 million into local coffers, but it won't happen in the foreseeable future. NASCAR isn't going to add any new events to its 36-race schedule. The only option for track owner Speedway Motorsports Inc. would be to buy a track with a Cup race and move the race here, but tracks/races are not believed to be for sale.

Speedway president Chris Powell said Monday fans shouldn't get their hopes up for a second Las Vegas race.

And if it ever happens, adding one in the fall could diminish the success of the existing race at LVMS.

Phoenix International and Texas Motor Speedway each added a second Cup date in 2005, and their attendance has dropped significantly the past four seasons. Attendance at Phoenix dropped from 105,000 for each race in 2007 to 70,000 last year. At Texas, a sister track to LVMS, attendance was 191,000 per race in 2007 but fell to 176,000 in 2009. (Last year's spring race was delayed until Monday by rain, which drastically reduced attendance.)

The greater challenge of selling tickets for two races each year led both tracks to remove several thousand seats. That scenario, coupled with a tight economy, could occur if Las Vegas had two races.

Even Sunday's crowd at Las Vegas was about 15,000 below the estimated track record of 155,000 in 2007. Demand has dipped at all NASCAR tracks the past few years. Also, fewer seats were available after the speedway widened grandstand bench seats from 18 to 20 inches to accommodate those feasting on fried Twinkies.

Regardless, the crowd was huge, the weather was ideal and at least the last 32 of 267 laps were exciting.

We don't need to be gluttonous looking for a second helping of dessert. We can be happy with one mega-helping of NASCAR ice cream.

And some history-making accomplishments added whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry.

Matt Kenseth was the first to chip away at milestones when he set a track Cup qualifying record Friday.

Danica Patrick earned a bust on Mount NASCAR for placing fourth Saturday in the Nationwide Series, the highest finish by a woman in a NASCAR national touring series. Mark Martin became the first four-time Nationwide winner at LVMS.

Sunday featured a late battle between winner Carl Edwards and runner-up Tony Stewart that was apparently entertaining for Fox television viewers. The Nielsen overnight ratings show a 29 percent increase over last year.

It was a very good weekend for Las Vegas.

And Monday was good, too, because no one called to complain about traffic into and out of the speedway, or anything else about the weekend.

Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247. Visit lvrj.com/motorsports for more news and commentary. Follow Wolf on Twitter: @lvrjwolf.